September 11, 2025

We took this side trip to China with about 15 others from the Ship!

L to R - Gary, Me, Sarah, Colleen & John- next row Alex, MaryAnn, Sherie, Darrell, Phil - last row Chaz, Angela & Steve, Christy, Bosco & Bob. Most of us all booked the same flights, train to Shanghai and Hotels - safety & collaboration in numbers! Our Hotel, Guo Ji Yi Yuan  in BeiJing was at a great location, right in the heart of the city, zone 1, close to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Walking around our first night we saw so much activity and tried our first Hot Pot, we were amateurs at how to do it! The menu was a giant photo coffee table book with pretty pictures and no English so we had to translate everything !! Pointing didn't work well here.

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When we booked our hotel we didn't know it was 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day and that they would be shutting down the streets and attractions within zones 1 & 2 starting 9/1, for days, for a giant Military Parade on 9/3! We were told the day after our arrival 8/31, that we would most likely be confined to our Hotel for 24 hours, from 6 pm 9/2 to 9/3.

2nd YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SAILING THE WORLD

By Pat Patrick • October 1, 2026
WOW!! I can't believe it has been two years of sailing around the World already for me and my fellow shipmates on the Villa Vie Odyssey! We left Belfast, Ireland back on September 30, 2024 and it has been such a great adventure to date! We have been to 201 different ports, some more than once, during those two years, with much more to come!

APOPO, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 29, 2026
Before coming to Cambodia , I sadly have to admit I was unaware of the landmine problems they face. On our first night in Siem Reap, where we hiked up the hill to try and see the sunset views, there was a small band of men playing instruments and our tuk tuk driver explained to me they were victims of landmine explosions who had lost limbs or their sight and were trying to make money via donations to support their families.

Ta Prohm Temple ( AKA Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 28, 2026
I rallied for our last temple of the morning, because I heard this one was unique and I think it was my favorite. Ta Prohm was built starting in 1186 by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery and university dedicated to the king's mother. It was left mostly un-restored so that huge banyan and silk cotton trees grow directly over and through the walls. In 2001, the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie was filmed here.